Clarity
by notaruka
Summary: Seeing her always inundates him with the same whirlwind of emotions: joy, poignancy, and excitement. It sparks the arrival of not only Katara herself, but upcoming days of clandestine romance; of furtive glances across meeting tables, secret kisses behind doors, and passionate nights in secluded hideaways.


_100 AG - Six Years Ago_

The last signs of the fateful comet lingered in the form of blood-orange streaks across the sky. Somewhere inside the Fire Nation Royal Palace, a waterbender and a firebender stood side-by-side and watched the sun crawl towards the horizon.

The former turned to the latter and resumed her work on his bandages, carefully wrapping loop after loop of the elastic cloth over his chest and arm.

"Hold still," she chided, when he absentmindedly twisted his body to peer out at the view.

He acquiesced, keeping his eyes trained on the horizon. "It's so strange."

"What is?"

"The world, right now," he clarified.

Katara tied the final knot on Zuko's bandages and released him, smiling softly at his pensive expression. "I'm glad I'm still around to see it."

Zuko finally removed his gaze from the sky and let it settle onto the girl before him. He smiled back, a rush of warmth swelling in his chest. "Me too."

Her smile faltered and she winced guiltily, dropping her eyes to her feet. "Zuko, I... I can't even begin to thank you-"

"It's alright."

"No, it's not alright," she insisted. "Zuko, what were you thinking? What would have happened if I couldn't save you? You risked your life; your throne..."

"I was thinking about saving you," he replied honestly, his voice soft.

She blinked up at him shyly, unsure of exactly why it was so hard for her to meet his stare. She turned away and stepped out onto the porch, just as she felt an undeniable blush rising to her cheeks. Her hands found the railing in front of her and she leaned one knee against it, surveying the sunset. "The world's so different now."

She felt Zuko come up beside her.

"Yeah," he murmured, "it is."

They looked at each other, something new and unspoken blossoming between them.

* * *

 _106 AG - Present Day_

Seeing her always inundates him with the same whirlwind of emotions: joy, wistfulness, poignancy, and excitement. His heart thuds loudly in his chest every time he watches her descend from an airship, march up to the palace gates, or emerge from the other side of a door. It sparks the arrival of not only Katara herself, but upcoming days of clandestine romance; of furtive glances across meeting tables, secret kisses behind doors, and passionate nights in secluded hideaways.

Over the years of their affair, he's learned to tame his reaction to her appearance. He straightens his posture, adjusts his overly-eager expression, and levels his voice.

But the beating in his heart is always completely out of his control.

"Master Katara," he says, perking up as she enters the meeting room with the rest of his guests. "I did not expect to see you here."

He prepares to fight a wild grin, for when she would meet his eye and they would share a knowing, yet secretive glance.

But this time, Katara keeps her eyes downcast.

Her expression is solemn.

* * *

 _102 AG - Four Years Ago_

Zuko watched the airship slowly descend onto the landing strip, his hands clasped dutifully behind his back.

He had to swallow down a gulp of elation when he spotted her jumping off the ramp, her wavy hair dancing in the wind. She'd grown, he observed. She'd become a woman, just as he'd become a man.

He couldn't suppress his smile, and neither could she, as the two approached each other in greeting. "Katara."

"Zuko," she returned, throwing her arms around his neck. "It's been so long."

He held her tightly, revelling in the sensation of her in his arms. "How was the trip here?"

"Not too bad," she answered, pulling back, but subconsciously keeping her hands on his chest. "Wow, you've gotten so tall."

"And you've..." he hesitated, stopping himself from finishing with something too obvious.

She chuckled. "It's alright. You don't always have to return compliments, you know."

"Saying that I'm tall is a compliment?"

"Well...yeah, I mean-"

"Zuko?" Suki interrupted meekly from behind him. "I'm really sorry, but the Council is being really impatient about your presence."

Katara and Zuko quickly broke apart, remembering where they were.

"Of course," Zuko coughed, returning his hands to their position behind his back.

* * *

"Master Katara is in attendance as the Southern Water Tribe representative while Chief Hakoda is currently indisposed," Zuko announced at the meeting table. "She will assist us in the relevant trade negotiations."

Katara politely stood and bowed before returning to her seat. "I am honoured to be here on behalf of my father. I hope to forge a fruitful bond between our two thriving countries."

Zuko mentally noted the fond smiles of the members of his council in response.

After the meeting, Katara lingered behind while the rest of the attendees trickled out of the room. She slowly rounded the table as Zuko packed up his papers and scrolls, stopping only a short distance in front of him. "I think that went well," she commented.

"Oh, definitely," Zuko agreed, seemingly pleased. "Way better than the meeting we had with King Kuei."

"Oh yeah?" she laughed, hoisting herself up onto the table and swinging her legs. "How come?"

"He's a bit...eccentric," Zuko stated tactfully. "But you... You have a way about you. People like you. You seem smart, and kind, and..." he trailed off, his ears growing hot.

She shifted closer to him, pinning him with her eyes. "And...?" she pressed, her knee knocking softly against his leg.

"Well, you know..." he mumbled, embarrassed. "The point is, they like you. You're easy to work with."

She smirked, letting it go. "That's good."

"Yeah, it is."

She idly traced her fingers along the engravings on the table, following them with her eyes. "It's good to see you again, Zuko," she mentioned after a while. "I'm sorry I haven't really had the chance to visit since your coronation. I've just been so busy helping Aang with the Air Acolytes and my father with the Southern Water Tribe."

"It's fine," he said, assembling the last of the papers into a neat pile. "I'm glad you're here, too. We haven't had a chance to talk."

"Yeah," she whispered. She leaned in very close. "Zuko-"

"Fire Lord." One of the council members re-entered the room, utterly oblivious to the waves of tension within it.

Zuko straightened and Katara jerked back, both blushing furiously.

"I request your counsel on a confidential matter. Is now a good time to discuss it?" the council member inquired.

Zuko clenched his jaw and replied through gritted teeth, "Yes, of course."

Katara hastily left the room.

* * *

 _106 AG - Present Day_

He wills her with his eyes to look at him. He pins her with his persistent stare, but the waterbender's eyes always skim over him, even as she addresses him.

"The Republic City project is coming to a very successful close. Avatar Aang would like to sincerely thank all of you for assisting in its construction," she announces. "Special thanks is awarded to the Fire Lord, without whom the project would not have been successful."

"It was a pleasure to be involved in such a rewarding endeavour," he responds, growing impatient with her ongoing lack of attention.

The frustration brewing in his chest feels familiar - the two have always had a history of butting heads.

* * *

 _102 AG - Four Years Ago_

Katara burst angrily into the Fire Lord's office through large, heavy doors, storming up to where he was seated at his desk.

He did not react to her entrance, merely keeping his attention trained on the scroll in front of him.

"Are you crazy?" she demanded hotly, glaring down at him. "You think this is going to solve anything?"

"This is my country," Zuko responded tersely. "I have to take responsibility for it."

"By going out there yourself? By endangering your own life? For goodness' sake, Zuko! Think about your throne!" she ranted.

He continued to write, as if her words had no impact on him. "What's the point of a Fire Lord who can firebend when he doesn't even use it to protect his country?"

"Do you know what your country really needs?" she hissed. "A leader who will not stupidly risk his own life and abandon them in death!"

"I cannot send out any more of my people to risk their lives for me. I owe them too much," he maintained obstinately.

"Then do it for me."

It was then that he finally looked up. "What?" he choked.

"Don't go," she pleaded, tears forming in her eyes. "Don't die, for me."

He slowly stood from his seat, an intense pain in his gaze. "I can't."

"Not even for me? Someone who loves you?"

He blinked at that, taken aback.

She marched up to him and searched his eyes with hers.

He dipped his head and kissed her, circling his arms desperately around her torso.

She reciprocated with a passionate kiss of her own, cupping his jaw in her hands.

They found their way down to the mat beside the fireplace.

By the end of the night, their clothes were strewn across the floor, her head was on his chest, and she'd gotten him to say, "I promise."

* * *

 _106 AG - Present Day_

Zuko has to rush after Katara following the meeting's close. Rather than furtively staying behind like she normally would, she bolted out of the meeting room before most of the other attendees even had a chance to stand up.

"Katara!" he calls, catching her by the arm. "Wait."

She relents and begrudgingly spins around to face him, avoiding eye contact as she's done ever since she arrived.

"What's wrong?" he questions, bringing up a hand to cup the right side of her face.

She closes her eyes and backs away from his touch. "Let's go to my room."

Optimism stirs in his chest at that. He convinces himself that maybe there isn't necessarily anything wrong between them, and that she could be upset about an external matter.

But when they reach her room and he wraps his arms around her from behind, she stiffens.

"Zuko..." she murmurs reluctantly.

"It's been too long," he whispers, his lips pressed against her ear. "How long are you staying this time?"

"I'm leaving tomorrow morning. I can't be away from Republic City for too long," she answers curtly.

"Oh," he says disappointedly. "Then I guess we better make the most of tonight." He begins to pepper kisses up and down her neck and shoulder.

"I'm getting married," she blurts.

Zuko freezes. The world starts to spin around him as he releases her from his embrace. "W-What?"

She turns to face him with teary eyes. "Aang asked me to marry him. And I said yes."

He staggers backwards and falls onto the edge of her bed, clutching a fistful of his own hair in one hand. "I didn't know you guys were-"

"We're not," she states. "Well, not really."

He looks up at her pleadingly. "Then why...?"

"We're not sure how long he has left," she reveals, her tone tinged with sadness. "The iceberg could have taken a massive toll on him. I mean, Appa seemed to pass naturally, and sky bison are meant to live to be 150 years old.

"Aang is the only remaining airbender. We simply cannot let this art become extinct. Who will train the next Avatar?

"We aren't together - not really. But considering our history, Aang chose me to be the mother of his children. As the Avatar, he doesn't have much time on his hands to date around. He trusts me with the responsibility. And I owe it to the world to help preserve-"

"I get it," he cuts her off, quite reminiscent of the way she accepted his own bad news, all those years ago. "I get it. It makes sense."

She bites her lip to prevent it from quivering. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he says. "It's about time we faced reality, don't you think?"

He wonders why the forces of the world always seem to want to tear them apart.

* * *

 _102 AG - Four Years Ago_

"Fire Lord," his head adviser greeted him as they met in his throne room. "You seem to be in a jovial mood this morning."

Zuko couldn't hide a smile. He'd just come from his room, where Katara lay sleeping in his bed, after leaving her with a peck on the forehead. This morning followed the first night he'd spent with Katara. It was reasonable that he'd be in high spirits. "Yes, I do, don't I?" he replied coyly, before slumping down into his throne. "Please, sit down."

His adviser bowed and assumed the seat beside him. "I hope you don't mind that I called on you so early, but what I wish to discuss is a rather private matter - one that I believe you would prefer to be out of earshot of most of the Council."

Zuko frowned quizzically and nodded. "And what matter is that?"

"That of your marital status, my Lord."

Zuko drew back in surprise. "Oh."

"Your reign has been quite a successful one," his adviser elaborated. "The consensus from recent surveys is that our people trust and admire you. You have regained the faith of the Fire Nation in their royalty."

Zuko pressed his lips together modestly. "Well, I... I guess that's good to hear."

"Indeed," his adviser concurred. "However, one trend is that people have been wondering when you will produce an heir."

"Ah," Zuko said in sudden understanding. "Hence..."

"My question about your marital status," the adviser finished. "Is it something that you wish to change soon?"

"It is a bit early," Zuko remarked, mostly in relation to his progress with Katara.

"Very well," his adviser accepted. "It is merely a suggestion. I just wanted to inform you that your people are growing expectant. You might want to begin searching for a potential Fire Nation bride."

"Fire Nation?" Zuko piped up. "Does...? Does she have to be Fire Nation?"

The adviser's eyebrow quirked at that. "Why, yes. Most preferably."

Zuko deepened his frown. "Is there a reason why?"

"Yes, of course," the adviser answered. "Though most citizens are pleased with your ruling, the nation's morale remains quite tenuous. With all the unstable politics within your family over the past few years, they are looking for a more predictable and reliable royal family to look up to. Marrying a foreigner and having earthbender or waterbender offspring would be quite...disastrous to your image."

"That's quite myopic."

"Perhaps," the adviser admitted. "But you don't want to risk the tension, especially after the New Ozai revelations."

"What about after a few years?" Zuko asked. "People could be more accepting."

"I urge you to find a bride as soon as possible," his adviser stated. "Remember that ancient law prescribes that a Fire Lord must be married before the age of 25 to rule unopposed."

Zuko grimaced and shook his head. "The Fire Sages really need to amend that law."

"Even if they did, it does not stop people from endeavouring to enforce it."

Zuko's heart plummeted in his chest.

He returned to his room dejectedly, slowly pushing the door closed behind him. He sighed as he approached his bed, running a hand down his face.

Katara stirred and craned her neck to face him, smiling sleepily. "Hey," she mumbled, stretching and yawning daintily. "Where'd you go? I missed you."

Zuko resisted the urge to explode into a teary rage, instead avoiding Katara's eye and taking a seat on the edge of the bed beside her.

"What's wrong?" she asked concernedly, seeing the misery etched into his features. She placed a tender hand on his.

He stared despondently down at their hands. "I spoke to my adviser just then," he told her. "He said that I need to find a bride soon."

"Oh."

"A Fire Nation bride."

Katara reeled at the implication. "Oh."

He groaned and took his hand back from hers, hiding his face in both hands. "He said it's what my people expect," he explained. "They don't want me to produce offspring that's-"

"I get it," she cut him off, her voice low and disappointed.

He removed his face from his hands and looked at her, gauging her expression.

She smiled sadly at him. "I get it," she said again. "I do. It makes sense."

"It's stupid."

"But it makes sense." She sighed, hugging her knees to her chest. "Your duty is, first and foremost, to your country. Not to me."

He wanted to disagree with her, but he knew that she'd make him take it back.

She was clearly holding back tears, but held her smile, desperately struggling to sustain a positive facade. "I guess we shouldn't see each other anymore, then."

Pain stabbed at his chest at the very thought of that.

"I'll send a hawk for Aang," she decided, crawling past him out of bed and getting dressed. "He should be able to pick me up by this evening."

He remained on the edge of his bed, tears freely streaming down his cheeks, long after she'd left the room.

* * *

 _106 AG - Present Day_

Zuko watches Katara's airship take off and disappear into the horizon. He wonders if the next time he sees her will be at her wedding.

The two have always had a complicated relationship, but it has evolved into something truly tumultuous. How is it that the world always tried to pit them against each other, but they've always stubbornly gone against all odds to come together anyway? If it is really so wrong for them to be together, why do they always feel the same, unmistakeable pull towards one another?

Why does being with her make him see so clearly?

* * *

 _103 AG - Three Years Ago_

The same thudding in his chest was triggered by her return. This time, however, each thud was laced with a twinge of sadness and longing.

She appeared from behind the ornate, wooden doors and entered the meeting room with Aang, a troubled expression gracing her features. Her eyes softened infinitesimally when they landed on Zuko.

Zuko stood from his seat and hurried around the table to greet his new guests. "Avatar Aang," he spoke, bowing lowly. "It's such a pleasure to see you."

Since he'd seen him last month, the Avatar almost looked like he'd aged, with dark circles and gaunt cheekbones laid upon his tired face. His usual upbeat cheeriness was nowhere to be seen on his washed-out countenance.

"It's good to see you too, my friend," Aang reciprocated, returning Zuko's hug. "Thank you for agreeing to accommodate Katara and me on such short notice."

"Friends are always a priority," Zuko said in response, tentatively turning to meet Katara.

She smiled and hesitantly pulled him into a hug, before melting into his arms. She almost forgot to release him before it stopped being appropriate.

The three of them settled into their respective seats, with Zuko at the head of the table. Zuko looked between them inquisitively, while Katara scowled at Aang and Aang avoided her stare.

"So, what is it you wish to discuss with me today?" Zuko finally asked.

Katara glowered at Aang for a moment, before revealing, "Aang wishes to abandon the Republic City project."

Zuko whirled in his seat to face him in consternation. "You _what_?"

Aang sighed. "I am going through...some personal difficulties. I simply cannot continue with such a large scale project."

Zuko and Katara exchanged helpless looks.

"The world is counting on you, Aang," Katara spoke up. "After all the arrangements you made, you cannot simply drop the project and cancel on everyone. So much work has already been done."

"Appa is dying, Katara!" Aang exploded, rising from his chair. "And if I don't dedicate everything I have to finding a way to save him or searching for more sky bison, his kind will be extinct!" His expression fell. "Just as mine is."

Katara followed him with her eyes as he stormed out of the room, before desperately spinning back around to face Zuko. "Zuko..."

"I'm on it," he assured her, holding out a hand and jogging after Aang.

* * *

"Thank you for offering to take over the project," Katara said. "I know you're busy. It means a lot to Aang."

"It's no problem," Zuko replied.

The two were perched across a Pai Sho table from one another, sharing a game and a pot of tea.

Katara eyed him fondly as she took a sip out of her cup. "And thank you again for letting us stay here on such short notice."

"Of course," he responded. "Not like these multitudes of rooms are anything but empty most of the time."

She chuckled. "So I take it the bride search isn't going well?"

Zuko almost choked on his drink, having not expected the delicate subject to be touched upon. "U-Um..." he stammered, wiping a sleeve over his mouth. "I guess I haven't really been...totally engaged in it."

She nodded neutrally, pushing a game piece across the table. "It's fine, you know," she told him.

He looked at her questioningly.

"I mean, I'm not mad at you, or anything," she clarified. "We can talk about it. I'm not going to burst into a jealous rage."

He raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Really?" he challenged.

She met his suggestive gaze evenly. "Yes," she maintained. "I'm over it."

"You're over it?" he echoed.

"Yes," she repeated. "It's been a year. I think we can be friends again."

He nodded thoughtfully, placing his cup down onto the table. "In that case, then, I actually do have a few contenders."

She glanced up at him briefly, but he didn't miss the momentary panic in her eyes. "Is that so?"

"Yes, I'm actually scheduled to meet one tonight," he lied, smoothly making his move on the game table. "If things go well, maybe I'll take her back to my room. I hope you and Aang can handle a little noise. The walls can be rather thin."

By then, her nonchalant expression had dissolved into one of fury, and she scrambled out of her seat in a huff. "You're a jerk," she spat, making to storm out of the room.

But he caught her by the arm, his grip firm but soft. "You said it didn't bother you."

"I was trying to make it easier."

"I'm sorry." He gently tugged her around to face him, sliding his hands down her arms and letting them fall into her palms. "This will never be easy."

She tossed away all her inhibitions and yanked him down for a kiss, an entire year's worth of tension and yearning dissipated within seconds. "Take me to your room," she breathed.

* * *

 _106 AG - Present Day_

"Zuko."

Mai's voice breaks him out of his reverie.

His eyes refocus on the woman before him, and for a brief moment, his mind wavers foggily between memory and reality. He is in the same room, but with someone entirely different.

"You haven't made your move in a while," she reminds him, elegantly taking a sip of her tea.

"Right," he coughs, returning his gaze to the Pai Sho table in front of them. "Sorry. Got lost in thought."

She scrutinises him behind her teacup, a very sad realisation suddenly dawning upon her: he is no longer the boy she knew and loved; he is the shell of a broken man.

"Your turn," Zuko murmurs, smiling pleasantly at her. "Try to get yourself out of this one," he challenges playfully.

 _The poor thing_ , she thinks. _He's still trying_.

"What's wrong?" he asks, frowning at her when she neither responds nor makes a move of her own.

She sighs, gracefully dropping her teacup back onto its plate with a delicate _clink_. "I can't believe I'm about to do this," she mutters, mostly to herself.

"Do what?"

"I could've married the boy I've been in love with since I was nine," she goes on. "I could've become Fire Lady; could've been embroidered in silk threads onto Fire Nation Royal Palace walls and remembered in all of history." She shakes her head cynically. "But I'm gonna do this instead."

He crawls around the table and kneels in front of her, taking her hands in his. "Can you please tell me what's going on? You're scaring me, Mai."

She manages a solemn smile. "You know we can't do this, right?"

He remains clueless. "Do what?"

"Zuko," she says, "I know you love her."

He gulps. "Who?"

"That hotheaded waterbender; the one who argues with everyone a lot," she describes vaguely, though they both know that she's well-aware of Katara's name.

"I... I..." he stammers, his heart hammering furiously in his chest.

"I know you miss her," Mai continues. "I see it in your eyes. I mean, jeez, it's like every time you see water you think about her and get sad."

"You're mistaken..." he stubbornly denies. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Iroh told me."

A flash of irritation appears in Zuko's eyes. "Uncle-!"

"I pretty much interrogated it out of him," she explains. "I was confused as to why you were suddenly so desperate to get back together with me after all these years. I didn't trust you."

He looks at her sadly. "Then I guess you were right not to."

She drops her eyes. "I don't blame you for this. I mean, it's nice. If it weren't for her, you'd want to be with me. I imagine it's how she feels about the Avatar, too."

Zuko squeezes his eyes shut painfully. "It doesn't matter. She belongs with him, and I belong with you." He clasps her hands tightly. "Please. You're all I have left. Don't leave me."

"You're not getting it," she persists. "We don't belong together, alright? It's not the right way to live. You spending the rest of your life pining after her, and me spending the rest of my life feeling only second best? Is that really how you picture our future; how you picture _your_ future?"

He says nothing.

"Really think about this, Zuko," she tells him. "Can you really picture your life without her? Can you picture watching her grow old with someone else; have a family with someone else? Is your nation's untarnished adoration really worth not even giving this a shot?"

And for the first time in four years, he really thinks about it.

* * *

 _105 AG - One Year Ago_

"We can't keep doing this," Katara mumbled sleepily, her lips pressed against his chest.

He stroked her by the hair as they lounged together in his bed, the soft moonlight streaming dimly in through his windows. It was the perfect night - one of the most warm and peaceful moments of his life. "Then stop tempting me."

"I don't tempt you," she grumbled, her voice muffled against his skin. "You flirted with me tonight."

"You came over."

"You asked me to!" She lifted her head to scrunch her nose at him cheekily, grazing her fingers down his cheek.

He raised his head to kiss her. When he pulled back, her mischievous grin had fallen.

She lay her cheek back down onto his chest, slinging an arm over his body and hugging him closely to her.

"What's wrong?" he whispered, sensing her sobriety.

"I don't know," she whispered back. "I wish we could do this forever."

"Maybe we can."

"You know we can't," she sighed, closing her eyes. "That's why we should stop."

"Maybe next year," he suggested weakly. "We end it for good."

"That's what we say every year," she yawned, her consciousness slowly fading.

He lay there silently for a while, pondering her words. "Here's something I've never said before," he said, when he was sure that she'd fallen asleep. "I love you."

As he felt his own consciousness slipping, he swore he heard her say, "I love you, too."

* * *

 _106 AG - Present Day_

"I'm going down to the markets!" Aang announces, bouncing in through the kitchen doors.

Katara looks up from the vegetables she is chopping on the counter, shooting him a frown. "Aang! I just started making breakfast," she scolds.

"I won't eat anything, I promise!" he pleads. "I'll be back for breakfast. I'm just dropping by a few stalls to get some new rugs. Mine are getting old."

"Why didn't you say so? I could've stitched them back up for you!"

Aang bites his lip sheepishly. "They're kind of wearing out, Katara! I get cold when I sleep."

"Then why don't you use that fancy firebending trick? You know, the one where you trap the heat in your body?" she argues.

"How do you know about that?"

She falters, not wanting to reveal that she learnt it from Zuko. "Scrolls."

He rolls his eyes. "Well, I'm not good enough to do it when I'm asleep."

She chuckles. "Fine," she relents. "But next time, let me know when you're having these kinds of problems!"

"Well, maybe you'd know if we slept together," Aang hints.

She gives him an unimpressed look.

"I know, I know," he says, holding up his hands. "You're not ready. But the sooner we get used to the idea, the better!"

"Get out of here, you."

He grins. "I'll be back."

She shakes her head fondly as she watches him whoosh out of their home with a gust of air, resuming her work on the vegetables. As silence and solitude settle upon her, she finds her thoughts inevitably wandering back to her Fire Lord, an entire sea away.

Only he isn't an entire sea away. He is standing behind her, at the wide-open door.

"Vegetable soup, again?"

She startles and gasps at the unexpected sound of his voice, dropping her knife onto the counter in front of her. Slowly, she turns, fearing that she has gone mad and started imagining his voice out of grief.

But surely enough, he is standing right before her, his usual regal attire abandoned for a modest, hooded robe. He lowers the hood from his head, revealing his signature scruffy hair underneath. He smirks at her playfully. "You still haven't learnt to cook something new?"

She shakes away her surprise and scowls at his tease. "I told you, vegetable soup isn't all that I know how to cook!"

"Well, it's all I've ever seen you cook," he counters, sauntering up to her.

She suppresses the tornado of desperate emotions whirling around inside of her. "What are you doing here?" she inquires, struggling to keep her voice even.

He sobers into a sad smile, boldly taking her by one hand. "I know this is a long shot," he begins, "but I don't want to spend the rest of my life knowing that I didn't give this all I had."

"W-What do you mean?"

He sighs. "Maybe there will be outrage from my people if I take a Water Tribe wife," he says. "Maybe there will be uprisings, riots, wars. Maybe it'll be the worst thing that ever happened to the Fire Nation."

She raises an eyebrow at him.

"Hyperbole," he quickly explains.

"Ah."

"But maybe - just maybe - it'll be okay," he continues. "Maybe it won't be a big deal at all and maybe..." He places a hand on her cheek. "Maybe I can have you."

It's her turn to sigh. "I simply cannot let you do that," she tells him. "I almost took the rightful Fire Lord away from the Fire Nation once - I won't do it again."

"If you're talking about Sozin's Comet, you're wrong on both counts," he tells her. "You're not taking me away from anything. I'm choosing you." He brings her hand up to his lips and kisses it tenderly. "If anything, I'm the one trying to take you away from Aang."

She groans. "Don't do this to me."

"Please."

"This is the most...ridiculous thing you've ever-"

"Katara, will you marry me?"

She snatches her hand back from his grip and gapes at him in consternation. "Are you kidding me?"

He blushes, mortified at her reaction. "I..."

"I'm engaged!" she exclaims. "You can't just...pile another marriage proposal on top of my existing one!"

"I just thought-"

"No, I won't marry you!"

He winces, dropping his eyes to his feet dejectedly. "I see."

"At least...not now."

Hopeful eyes snap back up to meet hers. "What?"

She huffs. "You can't just propose to me, Zuko. We haven't even been in a proper relationship yet."

"But..." he mutters, a small smile sneaking onto his features. "But I love you. And you love me."

"And none of this has been worked out yet!" she points out. "And I don't even know if I'm alright with this, and... We don't even know how your people will react-"

"They'll deal with it," he says dismissively, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her close to him. "And if not, I'll abdicate from the throne."

"That's not funny."

"It wasn't a joke."

She groans again and lets her forehead fall into his chest, resting her hands on his shoulders.

"What do you say, then?" he asks gently, swinging her in his arms. "Are you willing to give this a shot?"

"And risk your throne?"

"And...give Aang some very awkward news?"

She closes her eyes, hyperaware of the way it feels to be wrapped in his arms; the warmth, the closeness, the safety...and the clarity.

"Yes," she responds confidently. "I am."

 _The End_


End file.
